


Machinations

by Merfilly



Series: To Build A Future [12]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death Fix, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-12
Updated: 2011-11-12
Packaged: 2017-10-26 00:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/276482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ratchet begins investigating, and figures out a plan for Scion</p>
            </blockquote>





	Machinations

**Author's Note:**

> Works from the novelization of Dark of the Moon.  
> Also draws on "Patronus" by myself and Femme4Jack

Ratchet looked over the scans he had been given, then matched to his own scans, begun the instant the scraplet had entered his workspace. Static fuzzed his processor as he noted some disparities, and tried to puzzle through them. When Scion showed up again, Ratchet had his scanners set to the highest maximum gain, and took in all that he could. This time, when Scion left, the disparity in scans was far more noticeable and offered up a strange diagnosis, one that the medic did not care for.

As he reached it almost simultaneously with a new burst of furtive noise on the Autobot frequencies, Ratchet decided he needed to take to the streets of Megatropolis… oh the hubris of that name!… and clear his processor with a little snooping.

`~`~`~`~`

Soundwave had always had difficulty actively hacking through any medic's processor, even when they were in recharge. To have an Autobot medic in the city was increasing the difficulty of his agenda, for he could never be certain how the medic would react to various plans in motion. As Ravage informed him that the medic had left the palace, Soundwave considered a contingency plan. An assassination of such a high-ranked member of Prime's own cohort would certainly reignite the war, yet was it worth it at this point?

He still did not know enough of Megatron's aim, nor what was transpiring in the temple that Megatron had used drones to build. He knew Blaster was nearing maturity rapidly, but was unsure of the mechling's loyalty to himself. Then there was Hook, and Longarm's near iron-control over most of his brood-mates and those younger than himself.

With a silent command, he detailed Ravage to study the Autobot's movements, and await further commands.

He then had to second guess his own decision … Ravage could not find Ratchet, as the medic proved slippery prey to the hunter who had spent little time actively in the field over the last half-vorn.

Soundwave would have to work on that.

`~`~`~`~`

Evading surveillance was something Ratchet was good at. He'd been doing it the whole war, and peace had just meant learning to dodge well-meaning allies. Whatever was happening among the Autobots on Cybertron was not meant for Decepticon audials and optics, in Ratchet's considered and jaundiced opinion. He slipped into the streets of the city, keeping his head down and obscuring his markings with a little holographic work.

Now all he had to do was find the unhappy Autobots, and see what he could do about their plight. It might take him some time, but he had that to spare.

`~`~`~`~`

"You are not going to take my new frame!" Scion whirled to face the cheerfully crooning specter. Starscream's optics blazed bright, despite the fact Scion could dimly see everything on the other side of him.

"How will you stop me?" Starscream asked sweetly. "You'll be just as disorganized as any bitlet taking an upgrade, and I won't be."

Scion bared his dentaplates, sharp and menacing, despite his impotence in this matter. He decided to ignore Starscream then, sweeping on down the corridor to his next appointment with Ratchet. The medic had been delaying and spacing these appointments out on purpose, Scion just knew! However, the frame under construction was going to be a beautiful one. He could already envision its colors once he activated the nanites to his own coding.

"Why don't you go haunt someone else?!" Scion exploded, as they reached Ratchet's doors.

"Because I don't want to," the annoying ghost said in reply, prompting the young Seeker to slam his hand across the scanner to be admitted. The door slid open, too slowly, and Scion briskly entered, wishing the doors to slam shut and make Starscream cope with being in an inanimate object.

The doors closed, and no Starscream appeared, even as Scion became aware of a curious pulsing of energy, similar to the radiated zones Starscream loathed so much.

"Am I right? Are you alone, scraplet?" Ratchet came from behind a device that was emanating the waves of energy floating over the young Seeker.

"Of course I am alone! I am always alone when I come here!" Scion hastily said, but then he saw the glint of amusement in the medic's optics. "What are you trying to imply?"

"Imply like Pits," Ratchet said firmly. "You've been influenced for a long time by that glitch-processing slagger, haven't you? Annoying voice, thinks the universe of himself?"

Scion's optics narrowed, but his wings quivered, giving away the hope he felt that maybe there was a solution for him. "He's not in here, and he was with me in the hallway."

"Alright, then, before the scheming pit-spawn figures out how to get through the wave-barrier I set up." Ratchet looked at the scraplet, and knew he was about to have a fight on his hands. "Megatron has been grooming you to be his pet Seeker, all your existence." Scion bridled, but Ratchet held up his hand to stop the words. "Scraplet, you may rub me wrong, but even Thundercracker admitted you're good at being a flier, and all that implies about your class."

"You spoke to Thundercracker? About me?"

"Slag yes. That's one mech who keeps his optics on and his faceplates shut!" Ratchet had been pleased, actually, to catch up with the Aerial Commander, to answer some questions he had about the current state of affairs. "Scraplet, I want you to succeed, and this fast-track upgrade is not going to let you do that. Because it's going to knock your processor sideways, and that rust-bitten cybershrew is going to get the jump on you. I've heard of a few other cases of firewall possession, and while it's rare, it's happened enough to make me a believer." After all, Ratchet had been present for Sunstreaker's rare appearances as the focal personality in Sideswipe's body.

"So… how do I keep that from happening?"

"Simple. We build two frames. One for you, at the right point of upgrade, and one for the slagger." Scion again bristled, wings hiking dangerously. "Can it, scraplet! We convince him to dive for the right one, you divert to the one built for you, and believe me, scraplet… by the time you reach true upgrade, you will smell like pure high-grade to your Lord, after him having to cope with Starscream in reality again."

"Really?"

"Really."

Scion hesitated a moment more, then nodded. "Use my designs for mine!" he reinforced.

"Anything, to be able to slag Starscream's plans," Ratchet promised him.


End file.
